First of hi to everyone, I'm new to prospecting and new to this site ( thanks to Phil for getting me sorted!). I've only been into prospecting for a few months but I have the bug pretty bad!! It didn't take me long to realise the depth of what I have got myself into, there is sooo much to learn!! The people who I have spoken to and hassled via email have been unbelievably helpful (miguel,the apple Isle prospector, Phil to name a few). I've been on the mrt website trying to see where the claims or leases are for gems (cat5) in the n.e are and who owns them, but also wondering do lease holders usually let fossickers on thier claim and if so what kind of arrangements are usually made, for example, sharing finds? any help / info greatly appreciated
Jim

Great you enjoy it so much. Its a fantastic hobby. The vast majority of lease holders ive encountered are equally encouraging and will allow you on there tenements for free. The standard is 12.5%. I offer to help report anything significant i may find in return for their assistance. Its important to keep an eye on tenement maps at MRT, they are up to date, However many companies are now either insolvent or have no intention of doing any more work on the ground. A part of the ACT http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/tas/ ... /s112.html is that it be in writing and the tenement holder must either approve it, or not in writing. If they fail to do so.. then things change dramatically.

who owns what? check mineral resources Tasmania's map for tenements in the category your interested in. Then define the areas taken and search say (example) EL22/2007 to find out who the current and past tenement holders are.

Hi Jim,
The tenements overlays on MRTmap, like Phil says, are current, and if you click on a tenement it takes you to the details, and usually contact details.
I can tell you that most people looking for sapphires/topaz/zircons in the northeast never bother to check with the tenement holders, unless the tenement is specifically for gemstones. Also there is a big difference between exploration licences and mining leases. Most lease holders are twitchy about granting access because of liability issues.
There is a form that MRT have in their prospecting section that you can fill and send to the tenement holders. Most of the time you'll get ignored. If that happens, I usually try once more sending it registered post with delivery notification, and if they still ignore it after three months I never bother again. By law they MUST give you written reasons if they refuse you permission (part 4 of the link Phil provided), so I assume that after some time, silence implies consent.
I also usually offer to document my finds and show or photograph them for the tenement holder. If they want share of the finds I'd think about it, but nobody has so far. The thing is, you lose very little by asking permission, and once you have arrangements with a couple of lease or licence holders, it gets easier to get contacts with other companies.
I aso differentiate depending on what I want to do. I usually feel ok going in for a look-see without asking permission, but I ask if I'll be spending any time digging in the same area.
Hope this helps!

Thanks yet again!!
Some of the reason I posted these questions on this site is that I already hassled miguel with so many questions I thought I best give him a rest! So I did have a laugh when I saw the replies. I have spent half the day on the mrt website and I'm much better off! Just looking forward to getting back out in the rivers and having a go! Only trouble now is I've only recently moved to East coast (binalong bay) , have two small kids,and nobody to fossick with,so if anyone is up in the north east and needs someone I'm up for it!

No worries at all!
I wouldn't have a contact form on the blog if I minded answering questions!

On the topic of getting ignored by tenement holders, I've always found this particularly frustrating. The law says we must get permission, but it also says that if a tenement holder denies permission, they must give us written reasons for that refusal. Thus me saying that after some time silence implies consent is just my own private view. I reckon if they don't care enough to bother answering, they won't mind if we go in.

Interestingly, the mining tribunal has jurisdiction to hear cases where prospectors are refused entry to a tenement. I've never bothered chasing this further, but perhaps one of the things we could do once we have a formal association would be to ask the mining tribunal to rule on it, and tell us what time has to pass before a lack of reply can be legally deemed as consent.